Dr Costas Constantinou, Assistant Professor and Lead for Medical Sociology and Community Placements at the Medical School, is the author of a new book titled ‘Applied Sociology of Health and Illness.’  This inspirational new text covers the basic principles of the sociology of health and illness in an eminently readable way. By creatively employing the fictitious character of Frank Bennet, a new medical student, who cannot understand why he has to attend so many sessions in sociology in order to become a doctor, the book examines the most commonly covered topics and brings together the basic principles and research findings  through ten real-life stories, that Frank Bennet is immersed into. It investigates the relevance of sociology and considers a new direction – one that places sociology in healthcare settings,  making the topic more realistic, useful and memorable.

It brings sociology to life and presents a highly practical approach to the complexity of social reality in healthcare, offering enlightening new ways for students, teachers and healthcare professionals to engage in the sociology of health and illness. An extract from the introduction of the book:

Doctors treat patients, correct? Patients are not dolls or objects though; they are human beings who carry within them the values of the society they grew up in. This means that their thoughts and behaviours have been influenced by the social values they have been socialised with. If you, as doctors, know more about the social values that have influenced your patients, you could certainly understand more about their attitudes towards health, their health behaviour and adherence to medication and treatment….